Car-loading system



G. P. MARINIEH AND E. E. CHRYSLER. CAR LOADING SYSTEM. I

APPLICATION FILED 001115.15919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

umTBDffSTATE-IS GILBERT R MARINIERANn EDWARD 1E. CHRYSLER, OE PONTIAC,MICHIGAN, AssIGNoRs TO-GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, OE DETROIT, MICHIGAN,A

CORPORATION. OE DELAWARE.

vi.mia-LOADING SYSTEM.

" Lseeoae.

T all'wlioml t vmay concern.'

. Beit known that we', GILBERT P. MARL .NIER' and EDWARD E. CHRYSLER,citizens of theUnited States, and residents ot Pontiac', Oaklandcounty,- State .of Michigan, have invented certain Anew .and useful'Improvements in aS-Car-Loadi'ng System; of which the following is a`specification;

` f Qur invention relatesto the packingor loading of automobiles .andsimilar vehicles intol -freight cars with the .end in 'view of p lacingas many-.such vehicles as. possible vwithin thefcar randfastening the'same se` Curely in place, 'so that they will not move about andbeinjured'during transportation; i and fthe object thereof" is to proyideanimprovedcarloadi-ng system inwhich'the. .ve-

hicles may be more conveniently placed in two tiers one abovefthelother,and more; se-

curely held in place during the transporta;v

i Y loading 'systems'. l'

.4 provide. a car loadingsysteml in which the systems as theyv areAcommon y called.l

furtherobjec't of our invention isnto provide a earloadingsystem'whereinthe elements madeuse of therein aremore simi 1 plein 'construction than has heretoiore com- A. further object of our:invention is to supports or struts-.which support the automobiles, and"the braces which cooperate I :with the struts as Awill hereinafterappear,

are vof such form and construction that-.they

' :xterial .necessary in cases where carloads otA .maybe used aplurality 'of times; thus et- :tectinglva materialy saving in lumber andmamotor vehicles are frequentlyshipped to the same destination, it beingcontemplated that the receiver -will return the struts, braces and othermembers employed in securing the A vehicles properly inplace within thecar.

A further object ot our invent-ion is to provide a carloading systemwherein the struts'-`v braccsyand other-'elements which coo'peratet'osupport the vehiclesand prevent movement thereof relativeto one;Vanother Ina-'y be more conveniently fastened to the sides and-bottonifotthe 'car,.and.more etfectively held in-place vand braced againstSpccation'of Letters Patent.4 Pltnted Oct. 18, 1921. *application ledOctober 15,' 1919. "Seriali No. 330,933.

longitudinal movement, than has heretofore .Commonly been the case.

lilith the above and other objects ot inven- .tion in viewr` our-invention consists in the` vscope of the concluding Claims,` 'as willbe obviousgto those skilled in the art to which our invention relatesf 4i In. 'the drawings .wherein kthe preferred' embodimentof our inventionis illust-rated:

Figure 1 is a view showing a freight car inoutline, and illustrating thepositions in which vehicles are held therein relative to one .anotherlin the practice ot' our improved carv loadingsystem.- y f Fig. 2'is afragmentary view showing the manner in which ay vehicle is supportediromthe floor ot the car, and the. method of :bracing the supporting'members'.or'struts' against movement.longltudmally o t the car. Fig.31s a fragmentary .perspective view showing the upper end of asupporting strut, and a brace cooperating therewith.

Fig. 4 is a 'detail perspective view showing .the lower end of asupporting member or strutl` and the manner inwhich it may .be

secure-d4 to a car fioor.`

is a perspective view showing an 4"anchor plate'whereby the free.end'otl a. tieX-iy"ble brace member .may-be anchored, to the floor oi'the car. Fig. (itis a view showing a modified form -of anchor plate. yFig. Tis a fragmentary perspective view showinga modified form otsupporting` 'mem-ber orcap for receiving-the hub ot the vehicle beingshipped.

Fig. 8 is a view showing still another form ot anchor plate.

Fig. 9 is a view showing a detail'ot con'- struction .and operation otour invention.

Referring now to the drawings. thereterence numerals 9, 1() designatetwoinclined Supporting vor strut members extending upwardly Jro1n `the{ioor ot' the car within .which the vehicles are to be placed. andinward trom the sides Ot' the'car. as best shown in Fig 1; two such.siqiporting or strut members beingv used to support the toi-ward axleand two other such supporting members 4being used to support the rear'axle of lOG each motor vehicle packed within the-car, and as manyvehicles being arranged one in front of the other and longitudinally ofthe car as the length of the car will permit.

- hicles, both the upper and lower tiers may be supported by supportingelements differing from one another only as regard their length or size,as clearly shown 1n the Fig. 1 of the drawing. In case the upper.-

tier only is supported in accordance with our improved car loadingsystem, then the vehicles of the lower tier may vrest directly upon thefloor of thev car, and may be secured in place by cleats engaging thewheels thereof, or in any other manner effective for the end to beattained.

The vehicles to be supported are support-l ed through or by the outerends of the hubs of the several wheels thereof, the upper endsof the`strut members beingl adapted to support the said hubs and being shapedor provided with means for engaging the underside of the hubs, so thatthe weight of the vehicle is transmitted through the supporting or strutmembers to the floor of the car.

The strut members are commonly in the form of wooden bars of appropriatesize. and strength and are provided with metallic base members 11, 12;said base members being preferably formed from al suitable sheet metalblank and having flanges13, see Fig. 4, in order that -the lower endsof. the strut members may be secured to the car Hoor b screws, nails orother fasteningA devices. will be appreciated that these screwsor nailsmay be comparativelyhshort, because of the thinness 'of the flanges13,thereby providing a scheme in which'the lower ends of the strutmembers may be more readily secured tothe floor of the car, and withless injury to the car, than would be the case if the lower ends of thestruts `were secured by nails long enough to pass diagonally downwardthrough the lower end thereff and into lthev Iioor of the car. l Theupper ends of the strut members may fit in beneath anddirectly supportthe hubs of the wheels of the vehicle, should such a method ofconstruction and support be desired. Ille prefer, however, to providethe upper ends of the supporting or strut members each with a metalliccap member as shown at 14, 15,'Fig. 1; said cap members being secured tothe upper ends of the strut members and having each a seat within whichthe hub of the vehicle-rests when the vehicle is in place and supportedby supporting members. These cap members may be formed from sheet metalblanks by- In the form or cap member Shownin F ig.'`

3 the blank from which the cap is formed is provided with portionsadapted to be bent upward to form arms 17, whereby a seat is providedbetween the said arms within which the end of the hub of the vehiclekrests, as shown in Fig. 9, a :suitable protect. ing lining 18 beingpreferablyemployed to prevent the ma1ring'of`'the hub. vIn the"A formofour invention shown i n Fig.,7 the integral cap 16 isprovided with asemi-circular seat 19 for receiving the hub' of the vehicle, this seatbeing commonly provided with a lining, the same as shownV in Fig.

to prevent injury to the hub.

The weight of the' vehicle being supported is carried by the fourinclined supporting,` 'i

or strut members as will be appreciated. In order to prevent sidewisemovement of the upper ends of these members, brace members 20, 21 areprovided, one coperating with .each strut member, and which bracemembers extend fromthe sides of the car inward and are connected withthe upper ends ofthe strut members. These brace members liesubstantially in vertical planes passing through the strut members andthrough the axles ofthe vehicle, and their inner end-s are preferablyprovided with hollow brackets'22, 23'1having` ears 24, through whichbolts 25 extend, asbest shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The 4arrangement of the parts as best shown in Fig. 3 is preferably suchthat' theA bolts 25 pass through the ears'24, the cap `meinbers at theupper ends of the strut members, and the upper ends of the strut mem-Vberst'hemselves, thereby holding all of said elements together when theparts are assembled, as will be appreciated.

The outer ends of the brace members are provided with hollow bracketsA26, 27 quite i .similar to the base members 11, 12, ofthe supporting orstrut members, and they have' flanges similar to the flanges 13 forfacilitating the fastening of the ends of the braces to the sides ofthecar, although, the said brackets are smaller vthan the base membersbecause of the fact that the braces are commonly smaller incross-section than the inclined support or strut members.

After a motor vehicle has been elevated within al car and supported inproper position by four inclined supporting or strut members the freeends of the arms 17 ybetween which the hubs of the vehicle lie, are bentdownward over the hubs, as shown in Fig. 9, and fiexible tension members28, 29,

one associated with each of said strutmeinbers inA the preferred use ofour system,are

passed from the floor of the car upward and'Y about thehubs of thevehicle, and then down'- ward to the floor ofthe car; the free .ends ofthesaid members being secured to the `floor ofthe car at points spacedapart fromone another and located one to the lfront and the other t0 therear of the Alower Aend of said strut members, as best shown in Fig. 2.

These tension members therefore actto .hold the hubs in place relativeto the upper ends of the supporting or strut members, and at theSametime prevent longitudinal or fore and aft movement of Vsaid upperLends 'because of the bracingaction due tothe positions in which theirlower ends are fastened to the floor of the car. tension members are inthe form `of double strands of twisted wire', the endsof which Y aresecured to the floor of the carl -by means of anchor plates having holesto receive lag or other screws, and another hole 31. to receive theendsv of the wire. form offiexible memberhas been passed over the hub ofthe vehicle,' ears 32 extending from the arms orl sides 17 ofthesupports for the hubs may be"bent down over the flexible member, asshown in Figs. ,1 and 9, and the flexible member then tightened bytwisting the strands of the double wire as by means of 'astick 33 shownin Fig. 2,.

during which operation the hubs will beA drawn tightly into the, seatsprovided for their reception and. a stiff and rigid bracing forypreventing fore and aft movement of the upper ends for the supporting orstrut 1 members willbe secured. The free ends of thesticks contact withthe'strut members to thereby prevent the flexible-members from'untwisting, as -will be understood, after the said members have beentwisted to tlie`extent necessary. to secure a siiiiicientl holding l4and bracing action.

Fig.' 6 shows a form of our invention in which a single flexible tensionmember 34 is employed, the saine being connected with an eyelbolt 35extending throughza .hole in the end'of a slightly modified form ofanchor plate36, thereby providing a constructionin which the tighteningof the tension-nieniibers is accomplished from the floor of the car byscrewing up thenut37 of the eye bolt.`

Instead' of passing the flexible tension members over the-hubs of thevehicle. as

shown in Figs. 2 and '9, we may hold the Y' li'ub ofthe vehicle in placeby means ofla bolt extending through the' arms 17 of thc forni of capshown in Fig. 3, or through upwardly extending sides SiS-of the castmetal form of head shown iii Fig-L7. In this last nientiohed ease twotension members are 'preferably used in connection with each sup-`porting or-strut member, the upper end of said members being vfastenedby passing Preferably these After such a' themthrough holes 39 andtwisting their vfree ends around the Said members the. same ,as isillustrated in Fig. G. The bolt above referred to is shown at 40 in Fig.7, and, while it' is shown as usedonly in. connection with a cast metalform or head, it may beA .used in connection' with the form of headshown iii-Fig. 3 as above pointed out.

Fig. S showsia form of anchor made from a flat piece of metal the ends41,42 of which are made to over-lie one another, thereby providing aloop 43, to which the lower ends of the flexible brace members mayextend, the same as iu the form of our` invention sho-wn in Fig. Q.

In view of the foregoing premises it will vbe appreciatedthat the strut.members and brace members may be readily assembled witli'one another andsecured together, as

by'means ofv the boltf above referred to: and the metallic base membersand hollow brackets at the ends of said members securedto the bottom'and sides of the car: the securing of the said ends being accomplishedby the use of comparatively small lag or Yother screws or nails therebyproviding a construction in which the car is not injured and by the samebracing means held in place .relativev to the upper ends of the strutmenibers; and. these tension members, again. are of such form andvconstruction that they may be'readily"attached to and detached'from thefloor of the car and used repeatedly.

--Having'thus described and explained our invention, we claim and desireto secure by Letters Patent:v

v,lfln aear loading system for use in' shipping motor vehicles infreight cars. in.- clined supporting or strut members extending upwardfrom the floor and inward from .the sides of the car: .metallicbaseniembers secured one' to thev lower end of each of vsaid strut membersand provided each with a flange whereby said base membersI mayb-befastened to the floor of vthe ear: metallic cap inembeis secured one tothe upper end of each of said strut members and provided each with aseat adapted to re- -ceive and support theouter end of the hub of amotor vehicle: brace members extending from the sides of the car inwardand the inner ends of which are secured to the cap members at the upperends ot' said strut members, vand which brace members lie substantiallyin vertical planes extending through said strut members and through theaxles of a motor vehicle supported by said strut members; and flexibletension members, one associated with each of said strut members, themiddle portionsof said tension members extending over the hubs of amotor vehicle supported by said strut .members to thereby hold said hubsin the seats aforesaid, and the ends of said members being secured tothe floor of the car at two points spaced apart from one another andlocated one in front and the other to the rearof the lower ends of saidstrut members.

. 2. Ina car loading system for use in shipping motor vehicles infreight cars, inclined supporting or strut members extending upward fromthe fioor and inward from the sides of the car; metallic base memberssecured one to the lower end of each of said strut members and providedeach with means whereby said base members may be fastened' to the floorof the car; metallicl cap memberssecured one to the upper end of eachofsaid strut members and provided each' with a seat adapted to receive andsupport the outer end vof the hub of a motor vehicle; brace membersextending from the sides of the car inward and the inner ends of whichare connected one with each of said strut members adjacent itsI upperend to thereby prevent outward movement thereof; and flexible tensionmembers, one associated with each of said strut'members, the middleportions of said tension members being connected with the upper ends ofsaid strut members, and the ends of said flexible members being securedto the floor of the car at two points spaced apart from one another andlocated one in front and the other to the rear of the lower ends of saidstrut members.

3'. In a car loading system for use in shipping motor vehicles infreight cars, ,inl clined supporting or strut members extend-l ingupward from the floor and inward from the sides of the car; metallicbase members secured one to the lower end of each of said strut membersand provided each with means whereby said base members may be fastenedto the floor of the car; vmetallic cap members secured one to the upperend of each of said strut members and provided each with a seat adaptedto receive and support theouter end of the hub of a motor i vehicle;brace members extending from the sides of the car inward and the innerends of which are connected one with each of saidv strut membersadjacent its upper end toI thereby prevent outward movement thereof; andflexible tension members` oneassociated with each of said strut members,themiddle portions of said tension-members tures.

extending over the hubs of a motor Vehicle supported by said strutmembers to thereby hold said hubs in the seats aforesaid, and the endsof said flexible members being securedto the floor of the car at twopoints spaced apart from one another and located one in front and theother to the rear of thel lower' ends of said strut members.

4. In a car loading system for use in shipping motor Vehicles in freightcars, inclined supporting or strut members extending upward from thefloor and inward from the sides of the car; means whereby the lower endsof said strut members may be fastened to the floor of the car; means atthe upper ends of said strutmeinbers for supporting the outer ends ofthe hubs of a motor vehicle; brace members extending from the sides ofthe car inward and the inner Iends of which are connected one with eachof said strut members adjacent its upper end to thereby prevent outwardmovement thereof, and which brace members lie substantially in verticalplanes extending through said strut members and through the axles of amotor vehicle supported bysaid strut members; and flexible 'tensionmembers, one `associated with each of said strut members, the middleportions of said tension members extending over the hubs of a motorvehicle supported lby said strut members and the ends of said membersbeing secured to the floor of the car at two points spaced apart fromone another, and located one in front and the other to the rear of thelower ends' of said strut members.

5. Ina car loading system for use in shipping motor vehicles in freightlcars, supporting or strut members extending upward from the floor of thecar; means whereby the. lower ends of said strut members may be fastenedto the floor of the car; means at the .upper ends of said strut membersfor supporting the outer ends of the hubs of a motor vehicle; bracemembers extending fromthe sides of the car inward and the inner ends ofwhich are connect'ed one with each of said strut members adjacent itsupper end to thereby prevent outward movement thereof; and flexibletension members, oneassociated withA each of said strut members, themiddle portions of said tension members extending over the hubs of amotor vehicle supported by said strut members and the ends of saidtension members being secured to the floor of the car at two pointsspaced apart from one another and located one in front and the other tothe rear of the lower ends of said' strut members.

In testimony' whereof we aiiix our signa- GILBERT P. MARINIER. EDVARD E.CHRYSLER.

